Taylor Swift’s lawyers have threatened legal action against a student who tracks the movements of her and other celebrities’ private jets.
Jack Sweeney is the creator of social media accounts that log the takeoffs and landings of planes and helicopters owned by billionaires, politicians, and other public figures.
His accounts gained traction at the start of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine for tracking the private jets of Russian oligarchs.
Mr Sweeney also became involved in a high-profile spat with Elon Musk, in November 2022 over the tracking of the X and Tesla owner’s private jet.
The University of Central Florida student stated on Tuesday that he had received a cease and desist letter from Swift’s lawyers, who have described his actions as “reckless”.
Swift’s lawyers have accused Mr Sweeney of “stalking and harassing behavior” in the letter – an allegation the student’s lawyers have firmly rejected.
According to Mr Sweeney, the accounts are aimed at providing “transparency” and use publicly available data from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“I think it’s important to note that nowhere do I intend harm, I simply share the facts. I think Swift has some good songs,” he said.
In 2022, Taylor Swift topped the list of celebrities with the highest private jet CO2 emissions, according to digital marketing firm Yard. The organization found that her jet emissions were about 1,185 times more than the average person’s total annual emissions.
Swift’s travel plans have also drawn increased attention from fans in recent months due to her highly publicized concert tour.
Mr Sweeney’s post does not provide any information about who is traveling on the planes, or where the travelers go once they land.
He has also tracked the private flights of other wealthy Americans, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Teasing Album As Fans Speculate On Super Bowl
Taylor Swift revealed details of collaborations for her upcoming album, with songs featuring Florence + The Machine and Post Malone.
Swift, 34, announced details of the record on stage at the Grammys, as she made history by becoming the first artist to take home the best album prize for the fourth time, for Midnights.
The singer has now revealed the track list for the album, titled “The Tortured Poets Department”.
Meanwhile, fans are continuing to speculate about whether the singer will be able to attend Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Set to be released on 19 April, Swift’s new album will feature 16 tracks plus a bonus track.
Fans had already been speculating over whether the 34-year-old would announce new music during the ceremony, having previously made album announcements at other awards shows.
“I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years,” Swift said after collecting the prize for best pop vocal album.
On Monday, Swift shared a photo of the physical record on social media.
The track list reveals two collaborations – Post Malone on the first song of the album, Fortnight, and Florence + The Machine on Florida!!! It is the first time Swift has teamed up with either artist.
Other song titles include So Long, London; I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can); Guilty As Sin?; The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived; I Can Do It With A Broken Heart; and Clara Bow, while the bonus song is titled The Manuscript.
As part of her global sold-out Eras tour, Swift is set to perform in Tokyo on 10 February.
However, that is just one day before the Super Bowl, which takes place in Las Vegas on Sunday, where her boyfriend Travis Kelce is playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.
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